In the days and weeks leading up to next Tuesday’s primary we have looked in vain for some reason that any rational Sitka voter would vote against Ballot Measure 2, which would restore Alaska to the family of states that have a Coastal Zone Management plan. The corporate sponsors of the Vote No campaign, the majority of which are out-of-state or multinational companies, have made it clear that they want as little public oversight as they can get away with in their plans for use and development of Alaska’s coastal zone. Disregarding the 34 years of successful operation of a Coastal Zone Management plan before the Legislature killed the program last year, the opponents have raised one straw man after another in their attempt to mislead and confuse the voting public. All Alaskans, we believe, owe a debt of gratitude to the selfless efforts of the volunteers, led by Juneau Mayor Bruce Botelho, who campaigned throughout the state to gather the 33,000 signatures that have allowed the voters to take action after the Legislature proved unable to deal with the issue. With the Coastal Zone Management plan that will be developed following passage of Proposition 2, Sitka, like every other community that will be affected by undertakings affecting our coastal waters, will once again have a seat at the table when decisions are made on those issues. The stakes are high, for our community and our state. We believe it is important for Sitka to demonstrate its support for rational management of Alaska’s coastal areas by giving a resounding Yes vote on Ballot Measure 2.